Second Chances
by megann310
Summary: Lindsay and Lucy have been living in Montana for the past nine years. What happens when Lucy discovers who her father is and wants to know more about him? How will Lindsay react? And what will happen with D/L?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I know, I shouldn't really be starting a new story, not when I have so many others that I need to update, but this one just popped into my head, and I just had to write it! And to those who are reading my other stories....I promise I'm going to update one of them tomorrow! And the last week of October, I have school off, so I should get a lot of writing done then :)**_

_**Disclamer: I own nothing, of course. **_

Never in her life had Anna Monroe felt as guilty as she did now. She felt like she was being a horrible mother, betraying her only daughter, but what could she do? Her granddaughter needed her, and Anna could never turn down that sweet face of hers.

So as Anna had lied to Lindsay about spending a week with Lucy on the ranch, she convinced herself it was for the best. As she bought the plane ticket, she convinced herself that Lindsay was wrong and that Lucy needed to do this. And now, as she watched her ten year old granddaughter stare out the window as they made the descent into New York City, she wasn't so sure if ths was the greatest idea after all. Aside from the fact that Lindsay would kill her when she found out where they were, Anna was beginning to really wonder if this was the best for Lucy or not. Lucy had been saying that she wanted to do this everyday for the past two weeks, but Anna remembered what her daughter had said when she showed up in Montana, nine years ago.

_"He doesn't even speak to me anymore, and it's as if Lucy doesn't exist to him anymore. I can take him pretending that I don't exist, but with Lucy--I'm not going to give him a chance to break her hear."_

Hearing Lindsay's hurt voice in her head made Anna want to take control of the plane and fly back to Montana, forgetting all about the plan. He didn't want him to hurt Lucy as well, but as soon as she saw the excited look on Lucy's face as the plane began to land, she knew that she had to give the guy a chance. Maybe he had changed. Besides, if she decided that they had to turn back now, Lucy would never forgive her for getting her this close to him and then deciding that it was wrong. No, she wouldn't do that to her.

"Are you ready?" Anna asked, giving Lucy a smile as soon as people began to leave the plane. Lucy took a deep breath and nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she answered, returning the smile.

Together, they exited the plane, both having that feeling of uncertainty about what was to happen next.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two weeks earlier....**

Leaning against the wall of the attic, Lucy Messer sighed loudly as she shoved a box to her left, adding it to the other four boxes she had already looked at.

"No luck with that one, either?" her best friend Sarah asked from across the room.

"Nope, nothing. Maybe all my baby stuff got thrown away by mistake," Lucy said, opening up another box.

"Yeah, maybe. I just hope we don't have to stay up here much longer. I hate attics. I'm always afraid there will be dead people in them," Sarah said, shivering at the thought.

Lucy laughed at the statement. "This house was new when my mom bought it, so unless she kills people, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. Now keep lookin'. I really want to find this stuff so I can give it to your mom."

The two continued to search in silence. Lucy was just about to open her last box when Sarah spoke again.

"Who's Danny?" she asked.

Lucy shrugged. "No clue. Why?"

"His name's on this box," Sarah said, opening it up. Lucy just shrugged again, figuring it was no big deal. She opened up her box and pulled out the stuff when Sarah's next comment caught her off guard. "Hey Lucy, I never knew you've been to New York!"

Lucy looked up from the contents of her box and gave her friend a confused look.

"I haven't," she said.

Sarah only held out the picture so Lucy could see. Standing up, Lucy quickly walked across the room and grabbed the picture. Sure enough, it was a picture of her and her mom, the Statue of Liberty in the background.

"And there's a bunch of envelopes addressed to your mom. It's from that Danny person. He lives in New York," Sarah said, handing them to Lucy. "And there's pictures! Oh my God."

Lucy looked up from the envelopes. "What? What now?" she asked.

"This guy, he looks exactly like you!"

Lucy snatched the picture out of Sarah's hands and gasped when she saw the person in the picture. Sarah was right, he did look exactly like her. Everything from the blue eyes to the smile was the exact same as what Lucy saw in the mirror everyday. But what surprised Lucy the most was the fact that in the picture, that man was holding _her. _She flipped over the picture and saw _Danny and Lucy, May '09_ written in neat handwriting. Not just any neat handwriting, Lucy realized. It was her mom's.

"You really don't know who that is?" Sarah asked.

"No," Lucy whispered, unable to speak in a strong voice, "but I think I might have an idea."

________________________________________________________________________

That evening, Lindsay stood in the kitchen fixing dinner. She smiled as she looked outside the kitchen window and saw dark clouds rolling in. There was a summer storm brewing, something Lindsay always loved. Something about the rain just seemed to calm her.

Upon hearing footsteps, Lindsay turned and grinned at Lucy, who had just entered the room.

"Hey baby, did Sarah leave or is she staying for dinner?" Lindsay asked as she began chopping a tomato.

"She left," Lucy answered."

"Oh well, she's missing out because I'm making tacos," Lindsay said cheerfully, not noticing her daughter's mood was as dark as the clouds forming in the sky. "You know, I think it's great you're giving all your baby stuff to Sarah's mom. She'll really appreciate it once the baby comes."

Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, sure," she said. Reaching into her pocket, Lucy pulled out the picture she'd found earlier. "So Mom, who's this?"

Lindsay turned around again and took the picture her daughter was handing her. When she saw what the picture was, she froze, her mood changing instantly.

"Where did--"

"He's my father, isn't he?" Lucy interrupted.

Lindsay took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

"Yes," she answered slowly. Before she could speak again, Lucy went into a rage.

"I can't believe you! You told me he left you when you got pregnant! You lied!" she screamed. Her face was red in anger, something Lindsay didn't see very often from her. She tried to put a hand on her should to calm her down and comfort her, but Lucy quickly took a step back.

"Baby, there's a lot you don't know."

"Obviously I don't know anything since you lied!"

"You wouldn't understand," Lindsay said, trying to think of a way to explain.

"Try me," Lucy argued.

Lindsay let out a frustrated sigh.

"I can't talk about this right now."

"Well apparently you're never going to talk about it since you've had ten years to do it! Oh, my bad, nine, since the first year he was still in my life!" she said in a vicious voice. "You know what, Mom? Don't talk to me ever again!"

Lindsay watched as her daughter stormed out of the kitchen, then she winced as she heard the door to Lucy's bedroom slam shut. She had been right about one thing. There certainly was a storm brewing, only this one she knew she wouldn't like.

_________________________________________________________________

**Present Day**

Two weeks ago, Lucy hadn't known anything about her father. Now she knew his name, what he looked like, and where he lived. Lucy still couldn't believe she was actually going to meet him. What she couldn't believe even more was that it was her grandma's plan to go to New York. Sure, Lucy had said she wanted to go, but it had been Anna Monroe who had made up all theplans, and Lucy would love her forever for that.

They both knew Lindsay would find out about this. Either she would go to the Monroe ranch for a visit, or Lucy's grandpa would let the cat out of the bag. Lucy didn't care, though. She was in New York now, she was going to see her dad, and her mother couldn't stop her. Besides, she figured her mom owed it to her to let her meet him since she had lied to her all those years, saying he didn't care about the fact that he has daughter. He had to care. Why else would he have written?

As Lucy stared out the taxi window at the sights they passed by, it amazed her to think that she'd been there before. She'd been born there, according to her grandma. She shook her head, erasing the thoughts of how different life would have been if she had been raised in New York. Those thoughts were soon replaced with more emotional ones.

_I wonder what he's like. What will he think when he sees me? Will we have anything in common? Am I wrong about him wanting to see me? What if he doesn't even remember me? What if he had this whole new family and he could care less about me?_

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a hand on her shoulder.

"We're here," her grandmother said softly. Lucy nodded and stared at the building in front of her. She took a deep breath before opening the taxi door.

"Please like me," she whispered to herself before getting out and going to the door. She looked over her shoulder at her grandma, who was nodding, telling her to do it. She then looked forward and pushed the button that was labeled Messer. She stood there for a couple of minutes before a voice finally came over the speaker.

"Hello?"


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy could feel her heart beating faster as soon as she heard the man say hello. The moment she'd been waiting for had finally arrived. She cleared her throat and began to speak clearly so she could be heard through the intercom.

"Yeah, hi. I'm looking for Danny Messer," she said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. There was a pause before the man spoke again.

"Who?" he asked.

Lucy glanced at her grandma and shrugged.

_I guess I didn't say it loud enough._

"Danny Messer," she said again, louder than before. "His name's on the intercom thingy, so I'm assuming he lives here."

Another pause.

"Nobody by that name lives here. I just moved in a couple days ago, and I haven't changed the name yet. I guess he was the previous owner," the man said. "I'm sorry about the confusion."

Anna watched as her granddaughter's face fell. She'd been ready, and now this was happening.

"Lucy, honey," she said, her tone sympathetic. Lucy walked away from the building, her eyes never leaving the ground.

"Now I'll never find him," she mumbled. Anna was quick to put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"How about you and I go get lunch, and while we're eating, we can think up a new plan. I'm not letting you leave this city until you meet thiis father."

Lucy looked up from the ground and Anna could see that her eyes had gotten brighter.

"Really? You're not going to give up?" she asked, the excitement returning to her voice.

"Of course not. Now come on, I think I saw a diner not far from here.

_________________________________________________________

Lucy stared at the chicken fingers on her plate, trying hard to think up some brilliant idea that would get her closer to meeting her dad. So far, she had nothing.

She laughed to herself when she thought of how hopeful she'd been getting on the plane early that morning. She had figured that by now, she'd be sitting and talking to him, finding out about a part of her family she'd never known. Instead she was in a diner, no closer to the man she was so curious about than she was the past nine years.

Looking up from her half eaten meal, she saw her grandma staring at her, a worried look on her face.

"We've been here for almost an hour and the only thing we've been able to come up with is what we wanted to eat," Lucy said, sighing. "Maybe we should just give up."

Anna shook her head.

"You don't really want to do that."

"I don't, but I'm sure I'll get over it. I mean, I've gone this long without a father, so why do I need one now?" she asked sadly. Anna actually felt like her heart was breaking for her.

"I'm about to take that picture you have of him and go to the police station and tell them to find him because it's an emergency. Maybe they'll put his picture on the evening news," she said, smiling when she got a small laugh from Lucy. Anna was about to take a bite of her salad when she gasped in realization. "Wait, that's it!"

Lucy was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasim displayed by the older woman.

"What's it? Grandma, you can't be serious about going to the police."

"I am serious," she said. "You're dad, he's a detective! At least that's what your mom said. So maybe someone at the police station would recognize him. In fact, I bet they would."

Upon hearing this, Lucy felt her enthusiasim soar up to her grandma's level.

_It's a wonderful plan! Surely someone would recognize him. And how cool is this? My dad is a detective!_

"Grandma, I think that's the best plan you've had all day."

_________________________________________________________

He was certain he'd seen her before. He was good at remembering faces, and this one he had definitely seen before. But how? She was just a kid and he didn't really know any kids. He figured maybe he'd seen her from the job, but then he noticed the woman she was with. Okay, he was positive he'd seen _her_ from his job before.

He knew he was staring and cursed under his breath when the kid pointed him out to the older woman as they got up to leave. Apparently, she'd known he was staring, too.

Quickly, he unfolded the menu and pretended to suddenly be very interested in how you could put any kind of cheese you want on the burgers.

"Excuse me, can we help you with something?"

He was caught off guard by the woman's voice. He hadn't expected for her to actually call him out for the staring. He put his menu down and shook his head.

"Uh, ah, what?" he asked.

"You were staring," the woman stated bluntly.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that. You, uh, you two just look like people I know, I guess," he said. Hearing the woman talk, he realized he'd never actually met these two before, but they sure did look familiar.

_Those eyes_, he thought as he looked at the kid. _Those are the kind of eyes a person would remember. Where have I seen them before?_

"Staring's rude, you know," the girl said, smirking at him. He had to do a double take at the face she'd just made. There was only one other person who could make that face, but no, it couldn't be possible.

"Okay, this is going to sound weird, and I guess it is, because I know I'd be a little weirded out if some random guy came up and asked me this, although one time--"

"Just spit it out!" the girl said sharply.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Ten, why?"

He did the math in his head, then his jaw dropped. He looked at the girl, then at the older woman.

_Of course they both look familiar! The woman looks like her daughter, and the kid looks like her dad! If that's who they are..._

"Are you Lindsay Monroe's mother?" he asked the woman. He earned a look of shock in return.

"How do you know my mom?" the kid asked.

"I, uh, used to work with her," he said, noticing how her eyes got wider. "You...you're Lucy, aren't you?"

She nodded and he swore that if her eyes got any wider, they'd pop right out.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Adam. Like I said, I used to work with Linds--your mom. Oh wow, this is incredible! I remember you when you were just a baby! Is your mom here, too? Wait, does Danny even know about you being here? I'd say he doesn't since he probably would have mentioned something about the daughter he hasn't seen for nine years returning to town, but--"

"You know my dad?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, of course. I work with him. In fact, he's meeting me here for lunch."

Adam then realized he was wrong. Lucy's eyes did get wider--a lot wider--but they didn't pop out.

**Okay, I'm not sure if I really like this chapter, but whatever. Review please :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Wow, I'm surprised, and happy, that you all like the story! I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter :)**_

_**And I forgot to do this in the last couple of chapters, so I'll do it now: Thanks to **__Sweet LIL loz, Runawayfan12, afrozenheart412, hot4cullenmen, Lindsay1234, Meredith and Derek, kdzl, xocsinylvrMesserMonroe, saderia, kl324x, csimesser1, mysterywonder, and k. __**for reviewing! And thanks to everyone who has favorited the story. I appreciate it. Now, on with the story...**_

_**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize isn't mine. **_

"Wait, he's going to be here?" Lucy asked.

Adam nodded, and Lucy felt a whole bunch of butterflies suddenly form in her stomach. He was going to be there.

"Is Lindsay here, too?" Adam asked, looking around the diner.

"No, she doesn't know we're here." Lucy said. Adam nodded, then realized why she wasn't there. Lindsay probably hadn't told Lucy anything about Danny.

_Did Lindsay's mom actually brought her to New York just so Lucy could meet him? That's pretty sweet! I wish I had a grandma like that growing up. _

"Will Danny be here soon?" the older woman asked.

"Uh, yeah. he just called actually. He's on his way. He's going to be so shocked to see you," he said, pointing to Lucy.

_If he even remembers me. _

"A good shocked or a bad shocked?" she asked.

"Uh, good. Definitely good."

_He doesn't sound so sure about that. _

_____________________________________________________________________

Danny was dreading lunch with Adam. It's not that he didn't like the guy, because he did, but spending lunch with the awkward man didn't seem like it would be the highlight of his day.

The only reason he had said yes to going to lunch was because he sort of felt bad for the guy. He was desperate for advice about a girl, almost to the point of begging. So, he had to say yes, or else he would keep hearing about the girl until he did say yes.

He entered the diner and stopped when he saw Adam with a woman.

"Adam," he called out, giving him a confused look when the younger man turned around. When the woman turned around, he froze, staring at her.

"Hello, Daniel," she said calmly.

"Mrs. Monroe," he said. He blushed slightly, not ever knowing that his voice could get as high pitched as it just had. "What, uh, what are ya doin' here?" he asked. He glanced around the room to see if maybe Lindsay was there and he just hadn't seen her yet.

_Has she finally come back after all these years?_

And that's when he saw her, but it wasn't Lindsay.

_How did I not see her when I came in? She was probably behind Adam or something, that's why. She seems shy, but can I blame her? I would be, too. Or maybe it's not her. Maybe I'm just losing my mind. _

"Lucy?"

He realized he had said her name in a whisper, but obviously she heard him since she shook her head yes.

_It really is her. This isn't just a dream. It's real. She's actually here. _

"You remember me?" she asked, staying close to her grandmother's side.

"Of course I do," he answered.

_Did she think I wouldn't? How could I not remember! She's my daughter. Unless Lindsay has told her otherwise. _

"How'd you find me?" he asked.

"I found a box. It had a bunch of stuff in it, including your address, but I went there, and you didn't live there. And now this, meeting your friend here, it was all a coincidence. Are you really my dad?" she asked. Danny could see the tears forming in her eyes and when he nodded his head yes, he watched as they began to fall down her face. "So what do we do now? Do we shake hands or hug or what?" she asked through her tears.

"I, I think it would be okay if we hugged," he said and immediately she wnt to him and was in his arms. At that moment, he could feel the moisture in his own eyes. He then pulled away and stared at her, smiling.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he said.

"Probably about as long as I have," she said, smiling back.

_God, she's beautiful. All these years of me dreaming about what she would look like, I never would have imagined this. She's perfect. _

Danny could have stayed in that moment forever, but unfortunately, the waitress in the restaurant didn't feel the same.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, causing the group of four to turn their heads and stare at her. "As heartwarming as this little Brady Bunch scene is, I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you aren't planning on eating."

Danny watched as the woman walked away, then glanced at Adam.

"You know, I forgot that I've got a tone of work to do back at the lab," Adam said. "I'm going to skip lunch, adn I'll just talk to you later."

Danny nodded and silently thanked him for not staying. After Adam had waved goodbye to Lucy and Anna, Danny turned his attention back to the two.

"Maybe we should go to my place. I guess we've got a lot to talk about."

___________________________________________________________________________

Sitting on the couch in Danny's apartment, Lucy felt like she was in a dream and that in any moment, she'd wake up and be in her bed in Montana. It took a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder from her grandma to make her realize that this wasn't a dream. She was there, in her father's apartment, and he was only a room away.

"How are you doing, honey?"

Lucy shrugged. "Fine, I guess. It's just a little unreal to me," she answered. Anna nodded with understandment, then she smiled when Danny re-entered the room.

"Here's tea for you, and are you sure you don't want anything?" he asked Lucy as he handed Anna the glass, then sat on the couch next to her.

"No, I'm fine," she answered.

Danny nodded, then the room got silent. Lucy drummed her fingers on her knee nervously as she looked around the apartment. It was nice. Small, but nice.

"So, I guess I'll start by askin' the most obvious question. Where's Lindsay?" Danny asked. Lucy looked at him, then at her grandma.

"Um, Lindsay's back in Montana," Anna said. "She actually has no idea that we're here."

The color drained from Danny's face as he stared at Mrs. Monroe. She had to be joking. She wasn't.

_Great, this is just great. Lindsay hates me enough already, now she is going to find out that Lucy is at his place. She'll probably think I kidnapped her or something. She'll send out an Amber alert, giving my description as the description of the kidnapper. I can see the headline now: __Angry Father Kidnaps Daughter He Hasn't Seen For Nine Years__. Wait Messer, use logic. Mrs. Monroe's with Lucy, so Linds couldn't get that mad, could she?_

"We have to call her," Danny finally said. Lucy felt her jaw drop slightly at Danny's words.

"You're joking, right? We can't call her! She'll make me go home!" she yelled. _He has to know that Mom will freak out! She'll come and get me and put me on the plane to Montana herself if she has to! Doesn't he realize this? Doesn't he want me to stay? Or maybe he doesn't, and that's why he wants to call her. _

"Lucy, honey, Danny's right. It'll be better if we call her now rather than having her find out from your grandfather," Anna said. Lucy glared at her grandmother.

_What the heck! Why's she suddenly ganging up against me?_

"And when I talk to her, I'll try my hardest to let her let you stay in the city for awhile," Danny said.

"Really?" Lucy asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Really," he answered.

_He does want me to stay! I could do cartwheels right now, I'm so excited! Only then I'd probably break my neck from trying. Oh, why'd I have to quit gymnastics in first grade?_

Danny pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "So what's the number?"

Anna gave it to him and he quickly dialed the number. He could feel his hands shake as he listened to the ringing. He hadn't talked to her for nine years. He didn't even know if he'd be able to speak.

_"I'm done, Danny. I can't do this anymore. It's over between us."_

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the words that she had last spoken to him. He had to focus. He couldn't get distracted.

"Hello?"

Danny felt his heart race at the sound of her voice. She sounded the same as she had all those years ago, and for a second it made him feel as if it was only the end of his shift and he was just calling her to meet him for a drink.

_Focus, Messer. _

"Hello, is anyone there?"

_Oh God, I want her still. _

So much for not being distracted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! Keep up the good work, and I'll keep posting :)**

Lindsay pulled her phone away from her ear and looked at the screen to see if her call was still connected. It was. She put the phone back up to her ear.

"Hello?" she said for the third the person didn't say anything, then she'd hang up.

"Lindsay."

Lindsay felt like fainting when she heard that New York accent she had tried so hard to forget.

"Danny?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah Montana, it's me."

Lindsay swore she felt her heart melt at hearing her old nickname. But no, she couldn't feel that way. She refused to feel that way for him again.

"How the hell did you get this number? I told you I don't want to talk to you. Did Stella give you the number?" Lindsay asked. She could feel her anger rising.

_Good. That's what I should be feeling. Anger, and only anger. Nothing else. _

"No, no, she didn't. And I'm calling you about Lucy."

"I told you before, you're not seeing her," she said firmly. She heard Danny laugh sarcastically.

"Well I think it's too late for that. She's here," he said.

"Danny, what the hell are you talking about? She's spending the week with my parents," she said

_What _was_ he talking about? Was he on drugs? Had he been drinking?_

"Oh, well your mom's here too, if that makes you feel better.

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to get her back into his life again. It wasn't going to work.

"I don't know what you're doing, Messer, but you should stop--"

"You don't believe me?" he interrupted, "Hold on a sec."

She waited.

"Hello, Mother."

Lindsay nearly dropped the phone when she heard her daughter's voice. Danny really wasn't lying.

"Lucy Danielle Monroe, how--what the hell--you--"

"Grandma let me come. _She _thinks I deserve to meet my dad, since you obviously don't."

"Do you realize how much trouble you're going to be in?" Lindsay asked.

"I think it'll be worth it," Lucy said autmatically, "And you can't let me leave. I think you owe it to me to let me stay. Please, Mom. Please let me stay."

Lindsay sighed. She was begging. Her daughter never begged.

"Let me talk to Danny again. We'll finish this conversation later," she said. She heard Lucy let out an annoyed sigh as she handed the phone back to Danny.

"Linds--"

"She stays with you for two weeks, and if things work out, then we'll see where we can go from there. I'm hoping that two weeks won't be too much trouble for you," she said.

"No, no, that'sno trouble at all," Danny answered, not seeming to notice the sarcasm in Lindsay's voice.

"Great. Oh, and tell my mom to callme tonight. I need to have a _long_ conversation with her.

_________________________________________________

"Mom, I can't believe you'd take her to New York without telling me!"

Anna rolled her eyes at her daughter's statement. It had been the fourth time she'd said it since their conversation had begun thirty minutes ago.

"Really darling, you'd think that after telling me this four times, you'd start to actually believe it."

"Ha ha," Lindsay said. She then took a deep breath before asking what had yet to be brought up. "So how is he?"

Anna sat up slightly in her bed and glanced at Lucy, making sure she was still asleep in the bed next to hers. Once she knew she was, Anna layed back down.

"He seems good. He seems like he really wants a relationship with Lucy. I think he really is going to try.

Lindsay let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe if he'd been like that during our marriage, then we wouldn't be in this situation right now," she said. Through the bitterness of her voice, Anna couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness.

"Are you ever going to tell Lucy your side of the story? Maybe if you explain to her what happened, then she'd understand and wouldn't be angry," Anna suggested.

"How can I? Right now she thinks of him as a god and me as the wicked witch who took her away from him. How can I ruin her happiness by telling her that he didn't want anything to do with her anymore?" Lindsay asked. She took a deep breath and Anna knew she was trying hard not to break down. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" she asked after a minute of silence.

"We check out of the hotel, I take Lucy to Danny's, then I'm on my way home. Are you sure you're okay about leaving Lucy alone, because I can always stay."

"No, it's fine. Lucy will want this time alone with him. Besides, Danny knows if he screws this up, I'll kill him. That is, I'll kill him if Mac or Stella don't get to him first," Lindsay said. There was another minute of silence before Lindsay spoke again. "Am I a bad mother for not telling Lucy anything?"

"What? No sweetheart, of course you're not a bad mother. You didn't tell her because you didn't want to hurt her. It's what any mother would do," Anna said.

"But I feel like keeping Danny away from her and not telling her the whole story hurt her more than the truth would," Lindsay said. "Oh Mom, I've got to go. Tell Lucy I love her, alright?"

"Of course," Anna said, then hung up when she heard the click on the other line.

Before turning out the lgiht, Anna smiled at her sleeping granddaughter. She looked so innocent.

_I sure hope Danny's serious about wanting a relationship with Lucy, because if he's not, then forget Lindsay. It'll be me he has to deal with._

__________________________________________

Lindsay hung up the phone with her mother when she heard the knocking at her front door. Getting up from her comfortable position on the couch, she walked to the front door and checked to see who it was. It was Ryan. Ryan, her boyfriend. The person who cared about Lindsay and Lucy, and who wanted to take care of them. The person who had asked her to marry her a few times, and had still stayed with her even when she had said no.

Opening up the door, she gave Ryan a weak smile.

"Hey babe," he said, giving her a kiss.

"Hi," she said. She noticed that he had a bottle of wine, and she knew that he'd come over so they could have a nice, romantic evening. Only after today, she really wasn't in the mood for it.

"May I come in?" he asked. Lindsay nodded and stood to the side as Ryan entered the house. "So I was thinking since Lucy's not her, maybe we can spend the night together. We can be as loud as we want, if you know what I mean," he said, winking at her.

Lindsay attempted a laugh, but when she thought about where Lucy was, she thought about Danny. She saw that goofy smile of his, she heard him calling her Montana, she saw the love in his eyes when she'd agreed to marry him, she heard him whispering in her ear that he loved her. He was the only person she could think of since they had spoken earlier, and she hated herself for that. She hated the fact that he could still make her feel this way, and she hated the fact that she wasn't feeling anger like she'd wanted to.

"Linds, are you okay?"

Lindsay looked at Ryan and nodded. She should be happy to have a guy like Ryan. He loved her, he wanted to be with her, and he didn't question her about why she wouldn't marry him. She was glad he didn't question her, because what would she have said? That she was still in love with the man who had broken her heart? She couldn't tell him that. He didn't even know who Danny was. She had told him the same thing she'd told Lucy. He'd left when she'd gotten pregnant, and that was the end of that.

_My whole life since leaving New York has been one big lie!_

"Uh, yeah Ryan, I'm fine, but can we do this another time maybe? I'm pretty tired," Lindsay said.

"Okay, sure," he said, giving her a concerned look, "If you need anything, call me."

Lindsay nodded.

"I will," she said.

She gave Ryan a kiss, then after he left, she went to her bedroom. She went over to her nightstand and opened up the top drawer. She shuffled through the mess until she found what she was looking for that was hidden underneath everything else. Laying back on her bed, she studied the picture. Her, Danny, and Lucy, on the day Lucy was born. They'd looked so happy.

"God, I miss you," she said, finally letting the tears escape from her eyes.

Still holding the picture, Lindsay cried her eyes out until she finally fell asleep.

**Ahh, so now we know how Lindsay feels =)**

**After the conversation with Lindsay and her mom, this was going to be a Danny/Lucy chapter, but I felt I needed to put how Lindsay was feeling. So, I hope you enjoyed! **


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